The Traitor's True Face
by Kokoro Nanami
Summary: What if the three traitors were actually being controlled by someone with power to rival that of five captains combined? Will the spell be broken? Who is the true enemy? Please help me out and comment. This is my first fanfic
1. Chapter 1

**The Traitor's True Face**

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters, only the storyline.

Summary: What if the three traitors were actually being controlled by someone with power to rival that of five captains combined? Will the spell be broken? Who is the true enemy?

'_Italics'_ are thoughts of course.

Chapter 1: The Battle of Revelations

A white haired young man stood above his motionless childhood friend, finally able to relax for a brief moment. Kariya, along with the Joukaishou, had been stopped, and the number of casualties had been surprisingly small. Soul Society still wasn't close to being peaceful again though. The traitor, Aizen Souske and his comrades were still on the loose, three squads were without captains, and the Fifth Division Vice-captain was still in a coma. Even before the Bounto's attack, life in Soul Society had become difficult since the day three of its respected Gotei 13 captains turned out to be their true enemies. It'd caused an uproar of uncertainty and fear within all of the Soul Society. No one was left unscathed that day. Not even the leader of the Tenth Division, Histugaya Toushiro, who now stood watching the expressionless face of Hinamori Momo. That day, emotions flooded his mind until they nearly overwhelmed him, but the one emotion that stood out more than the others was absolute rage. Aizen dared to betray himself, Soul Society, and Hinamori. He remembered back when she was first attending the academy. The first time she came back to visit him, she spoke of how she'd met Aizen-taichou and how she would join his squad one day. He had seen the look in her eyes then. He was her very most important person, and years later, he cut her down.

He stood there, remembering the past for hours. When he left the Fourth Division, the sun was setting beyond the horizon. That only brought back more unbidden memories. When they lived in Rukongai together, Hinamori would drag him outside just to watch the sunset with her everyday. Hitsugaya had acted as if it was only a waste of time, but in reality, he really did love watching the sunset with her, seeing the sun set the sky on fire and making the clouds shimmer like diamonds when they were hit just right. It was- "Taichou!" He looked up to see his Vice-captain, Matsumoto, running towards him. "What is it?" he asked when she came to a halt. "All three former captains Aizen, Ichimaru, and Tousen have infiltrated Seireitei, taken countless numbers of hostages, and they are demanding that we hand over something called the 'Sword of Dimensions' or else they will kill all of the hostages they have taken. Yamamoto-soutaichou has ordered all seated officers to go to their locations and take them down," she said with a solemn expression. "What is the 'Sword of Dimensions'?" Hitsugaya-taichou questioned. "I don't know, but Yamamoto-soutaichou said that everything would be explained later," she replied. "Alright then, let's go."

'_What on earth is going on? I could understand them wanting a powerful weapon, but why would all three of them have to appear? Why not just send one person, instead of risking losing everything you've worked for?'_ These thoughts were racing through Matsumoto-fukutaichou's mind as she followed her captain. Via the Hell Butterflies, Squads 2, 6, and 9 were ordered to go to Northern Seireitei to deal with Aizen. Next, Squads 7, 11, and 3 were sent to Eastern Seireitei to battle Tousen. Then, Squads 10, 8, and 5 were dispatched to Western Seireitei to go up against Ichimaru. Lastly, Squads 12 and 13 were ordered to divide between the three and act as back up.

Along the way, the two officers from the Tenth Division met up with Kurosaki Ichigo, who had remained in Seireitei to recover from his battle with Kariya Jin. He quickly explained that his friends from the real world had split up and headed to where their abilities would be most useful.

Soon, Squads 10, 8, 5, and the backup from Squads 12 and 13 arrived, and together they faced Ichimaru Gin. The hostages he had taken were all out cold inside a ring of Gillian. Upon seeing this, Ichigo became enraged, and before anyone could stop him he called upon _Tensa Zangetsu_ and raced directly towards Ichimaru without a second thought. "Damn idiot," Hitsugaya-taichou cursed under his breath. "It can't be helped now, so why not join in?" Kyoraku-taichou reasoned. With that, everyone released their zanpakuto's most powerful forms. The three captain class shinigami began the assault, with the two vice captains standing out of the way ready to give back up if needed. The rest of the seated officers went to liberate the hostages from the Menos' entrapment.

Ichigo, wielding _Tensa Zangetsu, _charged full force at Ichimaru, but to the surprise of everyone, Ichimaru dodged at the last moment and threw him back into a stone wall with no effort at all. Unfortunately, he had only recovered the day before, so the damage was more brutal than it should have been if he'd had the chance to fully recover. Seeing an opening, both Kyoraku-taichou and Hitsugaya-taichou attacked together by surrounding him and using Kyoraku-taichou's _Katen Kyokotsu_ to halt the movement of Ichimaru's arms and legs, leaving Hitsugaya-taichou to bring down _Daiguren__ Hyorinmaru_ from behind, but Ichimaru had become more powerful than anyone could have imagined. He forced back Kyoraku-taichou with his barehands, and drawing _Shinso _he broke through Kyoraku-taichou's defence, stabbing him in the chest. Then, pivoting on one foot he cut into Hitsugaya-taichou's left leg, dragging his zanpakuto upwards, creating a gash running from his right shoulder to his left leg. It all happened in the blink of an eye.

'_He fatally wounded three captain class shinigami in a single heartbeat. How did he get so strong? If this is how powerful Ichimaru is, I can't imagine how strong Aizen must be,'_ Matsumoto thought, as she shunpoed to her captain's side. Ise-fukutaichou had already moved Kyoraku-taichou away from the battlefield, so that one of her subordinates could take him to Unohana-taichou. Matsumoto had almost reached her captain at this point, but as she closed in there was a massive explosion. Turning, she saw Kurosaki Ichigo wielding _Tensa Zangetsu_, having just sent an unbelievably powerful _Getsuga Tensho_ Ichimaru's way. Once the smoke and debris cleared, though, she saw it had only caused a shallow gash in Ichimaru's shoulder.

With a smirk, Ichimaru Gin unleashed _Shinso_, sending his blade hurtling straight towards Ichigo's heart. Just as the tip of the blade was about to pierce through, it stopped. The Gillian disappeared one by one. Now, all eyes were on Ichimaru, and no one could believe what they were seeing. Glowing red marks had appeared on his body, twisting and writhing in an almost sickening way. _Shinso_ fell from his wielder's grip, and Ichimaru fell to his knees trembling. His face contorted in pain, and his hands came up to clutch his head. Suddenly, a blazing light, the color of blood, surrounded Ichimaru and shot up to the sky. Simultaneously, two other columns of light appeared where Aizen and Tousen were supposed to be. The onlookers watched completely bewildered as three bloodcurdling screams ripped through the Seireitei, and just as suddenly as they appeared the three traitors vanished without a trace.

The next day, at 9:00 am, it was confirmed that the rings of Gillian were all because of Aizen's zanpakuto. What was really on everyone's minds was: What the hell happened? Everyone kept repeating that same question over and over again in their minds. Except for one Kurosaki Ichigo, who happened to be still sleeping at the moment.

Unohana Retsu, Fourth Division Captain, came in to check on her orange haired patient hours later to find that he was still asleep. After making sure there would be no complications in his healing process, she made to leave to check on her other patients. She had only set one foot outside the door when she heard the rustling of sheets. Turning quickly, she saw Ichigo sit abruptly, his eyes wide in fear.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, you should be resting. You could open your wounds back up again," Unohana-taichou said softly.

"You don't understand. I've seen those markings before. Those three, Aizen, Ichimaru, and Tousen, they're all being controlled."


	2. Chapter 2

**The Traitor's True Face**

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters, only the storyline.

Summary: What if the three traitors were actually being controlled by someone with power to rival that of five captains combined? Will the spell be broken? Who is the true enemy?

'_Italics'_ are thoughts of course.

Chapter 2: The Takeuchi Legacy

"You don't understand. I've seen those marking before. Those three, Aizen, Ichimaru, and Tousen, they're all being controlled."

Unohana-taichou struggled to remain in control of her emotions, "What did you say?" By now, Ichigo had managed to compose himself, and said in a more stable voice, "Those markings are the ones someone receives when they're under the control of Feardorcha. Everything those three have done, they weren't doing them of their own free will. When those beams of light showed up, that meant they were struggling to regain control of themselves," Ichigo said. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes were blazing with anger. "How can you be so sure of this?" Unohana inquired, not sure of the boy's state of mind. "Look," he said lying down, "I'm going to pass out pretty soon, but if you find my sisters, Karin and Yuzu, they'll explain everything. Just find them and bring them here, and I'll get them to tell you whole story," and with that he lost consciousness.

When Unohana-taichou reported this incident to Yamamoto-soutaichou, his face was expressionless as always. "This development is crucial to the fate of the world. As such, I will send two vice-captains to the real world to escort Kurosaki Karin and Kurosaki Yuzu back here. In the meantime, Unohana-taichou, inform the other captains of the situation quickly and have them tell their vice-captains. We will proceed when everyone is present." "Understood. I will take my leave now," she replied with a bow.

Soon, word had spread throughout all of Seireitei. The three former captains, who had betrayed them, were being controlled by someone else, and the only people who knew the whole story were a trio of human children? Geez, what's going to happen next, the sky literally raining cats and dogs?

Karin and Yuzu both happened to be in the living room, watching TV and gorging themselves on junk food, since everyone was gone and the chores were done, for now. On screen it was just getting to the good part when two people dressed in black robes got in the way.

"Hey what do you two think you're doing?! Move out of the way!" Karin as she jumped up. "You'd better watch your mouth you brat! I'm the Sixth Squad Vice-captain, Abarai Renji, here to escort you back to Soul Society," he said with just a _hint_ of annoyance. "Well Renji, you can't blame her. Two people in black jumping out unexpectedly isn't an everyday occurrence. I'm Matsumoto Rangiku by the way. Nice to meet you," she said with a wave. "I don't care who you old people are. Just get out of my house!" Karin yelled. "Old!" the two shinigami said simultaneously. That set off an all out argument. Yuzu just sat there watching quietly, thankful she could finally see ghosts, or she would've thought her sister had gone mad. After about fifteen minutes, though, she became annoyed, so….."_**Everybody quiet!!!**_" she yelled. The house was never quieter. "Now everyone sit, and you two start explaining," she said with an uncharacteristic glare.

(Ten minutes and a quick argument later…)

The two sisters sat there stunned. The two shinigami had given a brief explanation of Soul Society, and how they tied into it along with their brother. That's not what stunned them though. Feardorcha was back, and he'd managed so much damage this time. They needed to get to their brother, now. They left immediately.

Upon arrival, they demanded to see their brother before they did any explaining, so escorted by Matsumoto, they entered Kurosaki Ichigo's room at the Fourth Division. The twins were relieved that their brother hadn't faced Feardorcha head on, or they wouldn't be hugging him to death right now. They sat there catching up with each other, until the girls were called to the First Division. Promising to come back later, they left with uncertain expressions.

In the meeting room, all of the captains and vice-captains who were not in recovery along two human children had gathered. Yamamoto-soutaichou stepped forward and began to speak,"Just two days ago, believed traitors Aizen Souske, Tousen Kaname, and Ichimaru Gin broke through Seireitei's defenses and injured many, holding them for ransom. It was only by chance that they left without taking more than they already have. Just yesterday, an almost unbelievable discovery was made. So now, we are left with many questions, and we are fortunate to have these two girls here to answer them. Kurosaki Karin and Kurosaki Yuzu, from what your brother tells us, you two can answer our questions, and since there are so many, please tell us everything you know from the beginning and we will work from there," he said giving them a nod. Karin glanced at Yuzu, who had her head down, and began telling her story.

"About 5,000 years ago, their was a dimension called "Paraíso sin fin", which means literally means "Endless Paradise". The monarch at that time was Shamira Anima Michiko-sama. The people of the dimension loved her very much, not only because she was a benevolent ruler, but also because she was the Balancer. The Balancer was the person who had the most purity in the entire kingdom, so it wasn't always the monarch. The Balancer's job was to go before their goddess and pray every morning for peace throughout all of the kingdom, and in exchange for that peace, if there ever was an unbalance between the forces that made up the dimension, she would absorb whatever was causing the unbalance into her own soul. Because of the sacrifices she made, almost everyone loved her except one person. Her father, Shamira Anima Zohar, was jealous of Michiko-sama's power and was enraged at how she didn't use that power to gain control of other dimensions. So at night, he would go to his study and plot to take that power away from his daughter, but Michiko-sama wasn't oblivious. She knew everything he was doing, so at night, in her own study, she practiced her magic to prepare for the battle that would surely come. It just came sooner than she thought. After only a few weeks of preparation, he attacked. It was the day of Michiko-sama's birthday and everyone's guard had dropped. Zohar cast a spell that put everyone into a deep sleep, except for Michiko-sama. She summoned a barrier around them so that her people wouldn't be injured, and the battle began. It lasted for two full days. Michiko-sama was at her limit, so using the last ounce of her power, she managed to seal Zohar away, deep in the center of "Paraíso sin fin", and she woke her people and continued to rule as monarch for many years, but it wasn't over yet.

Zohar spent years in his imprisonment plotting to take his daughter's powers for himself. After 50 years, he struck again. This time he was more powerful than ever before. He wiped out all of the dimension's people and fatally wounded Michiko-sama. Since there was no one for her to protect any longer, Michiko-sama escaped to Earth, vowing to avenge her people someday. There, she took on the name Takeuchi Michiko and lived as a human in disguise, watching Zohar's movements carefully. In the meantime, she found a husband whom she could trust her secret with and started a family, hoping to train her children in the mystic arts. The Takeuchi bloodline continued to grow larger and larger, and since Michiko-sama and her descendants aged differently than ordinary humans, each Takeuchi child was trained by Michiko-sama personally.

When the clan had reached the peak of their power, they went to the dimension that Zohar had taken over. What they saw brought Michiko-sama to tears. The once beautiful land she had ruled turned into a wasteland filled with horrible creatures, and right before their eyes, Zohar appeared. He had changed his name to Feardorcha and announced proudly that he was the one who had done so much damage to the once beautiful land. In rage, Michiko-sama attacked. An all out war was fought, the Takeuchi clan against Feardorcha and his creatures. In the end, both sides were dwindling in numbers, and both of the parties' leaders were dying, Feardorcha had just enough power to escape. His last words before he left revealed the truth. The horrible creatures they had fought were the disturbances Michiko-sama had absorbed in her time as the Balancer, and when she abandoned her duty and left, all of the darkness trapped inside her escaped and became what Feardorcha called "Hollows". He proclaimed himself ruler of the Hollows and their world "Hueco Mundo." The last of the Takeuchi clan escaped back to the human world and swore to kill him with their own hands. For generations, they continued to train and grow until this very day," Karin finished.

The room was deathly quiet. No one could believe what they were hearing. Not one person made a move to speak until…,"Ne, ne, grumpy girl, how do you know so much huh?" Kusajishi Yachiru inquired loudly. "Because our mother was Takeuchi Masaki, direct descendant of Michiko-sama. So that makes us and our brother Michiko-sama's descendants too," Yuzu said. "No wonder Kurosaki Ichigo managed to become so strong in such a short time," Ukitake-taichou muttered. "That's right. All three of us are trained specifically to oppose Feardorcha should the need ever arise," Karin explained.

"That still doesn't explain what the 'Sword of Dimensions' is and why this Feardorcha would want it," Soi Fong-taichou stated. "I can explain that," Yamamoto-soutaichou began. "The 'Sword of Dimensions' as its name suggests can cut through the boundaries of any dimension. It was created by the king of Soul Society. Its location is only known by the King to this day," he said. "That would explain it," Yuzu said. "Feardorcha cannot travel outside of Hueco Mundo because of the after effects of Michiko-sama's spell. If he gets the sword, then he'll be able to escape. So that's why he created the puppets!" Karin exclaimed. "What are you talking about now?" Omaeda-fukutaichou asked. "The puppets are what he's using to control those three men you were talking about. They infiltrate a person's soul and take control of their bodies, but not their minds. Our family has liberated many people under the puppet's influence, and every time, the person was aware of what they were doing, but couldn't stop themselves. Feardorcha created the puppets since he couldn't leave the dimension, so he had to make someone else do his dirty work," Karin explained. "How did you liberate those people?" Komamura-taichou questioned. "We had to destroy the puppets inside them. The puppets are embedded in the victim's chest, so we had no choice but to stab their chests and obliterate the puppets," Yuzu said quietly.

"So now we know how to save our comrades, but how will we get close enough to destroy the puppets?" Hisagi-fukutaichou asked. "I think you should at least see how it's done first, so let brother, Yuzu and I show you first. According to our brother we've fought people at their level before, so we can handle it. The way we see it, they'll be back, so there's no need to worry about where it'll take place," Karin said. Yamamoto-soutaichou deliberated for a moment before saying, "Very well. You will remain here until they return, and show us the methods you've been using until now, but only if you agree to take at least two captains with you as backup," he dictated. The twins looked at each other before saying together, "Agreed."


	3. Chapter 3

**The Traitor's True Face**

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters, only the storyline.

Summary: What if the three traitors were actually being controlled by someone with power to rival that of five captains combined? Will the spell be broken? Who is the true enemy?

'_Italics'_ are thoughts of course.

Chapter 3: The Twins Show Their True Colors (Literally)

The twins looked at each other before saying together, "Agreed."

And that is how Kurosaki Ichigo's sisters came to live in Seireitei. Once Ichigo was released, they lived together with him and his friends from the real world in a house provided by Yamamoto-soutaichou. Two days after they arrived, Yamamoto-soutaichou thought it would be wise to see what abilities the girls had, so he called all of the captains and vice-captains to the Eleventh Division's training grounds, since their's was the largest. When their guests from the real world arrived, Yamamoto-soutaichou explained his reasoning, and with some coaxing from Ichigo, the twins agreed.

Karin volunteered to go first. She stepped into the center of the training grounds and closed her eyes. Karin held out her right hand as if reaching for something and a ball of orange light appeared and shaped into a five inch rod when Karin wrapped her hand around it. The light dispersed and what was left was an orange staff. It was about an inch thick in the middle and slowly became thicker as you went away from the center. At one end there was a roaring lion's head made of citrine gemstone. At the other end, there was a long ribbon with characters from a language no one but the descendants of Michiko-sama could understand. Karin snapped open her eyes and recited an incantation, "**Almighty Göttin Athenais, I Kurosaki Karin, Nachkomme von Shamira Anima Michiko, beschwören dich, verleihen mich deine Greifer und deine Reißzähne, deine Geschwindigkeit und deine Stärke, damit ich vanquish meine Feinde kann. Dein Brüllen gehört werden lassen, Löwe!**" (Almighty goddess Athenais, I Kurosaki Karin, descendant of Shamira Anima Michiko, beseech you, lend me your claws and your fangs, your speed and your strength, so that I may vanquish my enemies. Let your roar be heard, Leo!) When the last word escaped her lips, fangs erupted from the ground and completely surrounded her, forming a cocoon until she was no longer visible. A bright light leaked out from the cracks, and the cocoon exploded, sending dirt flying in every direction. When they could see again, everyone on the sidelines, except for two people, were speechless. They had witnessed Karin's transformation. She stood there clad in pure white armor with orange trim. Her hair had grown to her mid-back and was kept in place by a helmet that resembled a lion's head. The staff that she originally had, grew into a sword's hilt and guard. The lion's head was now tilted upwards, with a blade sprouting from the lion's jaws. Yamamoto-soutaichou stepped forward," That is impressive. Now, please show us your other abilities," he said. "Actually, it might be easier to show you if I spar with my sister," Karin replied. "Very well. Kurosaki Yuzu, please show us your abilities as well," he said. Yuzu entered the training grounds.

Like Karin, Yuzu closed her eyes and held out her right hand, but this time a yellow ball of light appeared. Grasping it, a rod took form, and the light dispersed, leaving a yellow staff. It was exactly the same as Karin's, except at one end, there was a falcon's head made of topaz and a pair of small wings sprouted where the neck would be. Opening her eyes, Yuzu chanted her own incantation, "**Almighty Göttin Athenais, I Kurosaki Yuzu, Nachkomme von Shamira Anima Michiko, beschwören dich, verleihen mich deine Flügel und deine Talons, deine Ruhe und dein Intellekt, damit ich vanquish meine Feinde kann. Nehmen zu den Himmeln, Falchion!**" (Almighty goddess Athenais, I Kurosaki Yuzu, descendant of Shamira Anima Michiko, beseech you, lend me your wings and your talons, your calm and your intellect, so that I may vanquish my foes. Take to the skies, Falchion!)When the final word was uttered, golden wings burst out from Yuzu's back surrounding her, hiding her from the world's eyes. The wings glowed until no one could stand to look. The light slowly died away, leaving behind an almost completely different person. Yuzu stood there in a pure white knee-length gown, with golden trimming on the sleeves and hem; the waist had golden swirls winding all around it. Yuzu's hair was now in a ponytail reaching to her waist. Her yellow staff had grown into a golden bow with a five inch portion of the bow thinner than the rest acting as a grip. Just above the grip there was a hole about three inches long and one inch wide. What was confusing was, why didn't she have any arrows?

Ichigo walked onto the training grounds to get a better view, so he could: 1 Explain what was happening to the people outside his family, and 2 Make sure his sisters didn't kill each other. "Alright, the rules are the same as always you two," He started. "You guys have half an hour. The second I see someone bleeding a river, you two had better stop, or I'll make you stop. Got that?" With a nod from both of them, Ichigo raised his arms. "Ready. Set. Go!" The instant Ichigo's arms fell, the twins ran full force at each other.

The collision of the girl's weapons sounded like lightning striking the ground. Pushing each other back, they got into their ready positions. Karin held her sword out in front of her, muscles relaxed. Concentrating her power, she sent it into her sword, the blade glowing a fierce orange. Her other arm was glowing brightly as well.

On the opposite side of the field, Yuzu was summoning her abilities also. Standing in a rigid straight pose, she held her bow in her left hand, while using her right hand she called on a yellow ball of energy, much like the one her staff emerged from, but smaller. She placed the ball in the center of the hole in her bow, and the ball grew into a golden arrow. Yuzu drew back the arrow, ready to fire, and her bow started glowing too. "Alright hold up a minute," Ichigo hollered. Both girls paused, allowing Ichigo to explain for a moment.

On the sidelines, Ichigo started explaining. "The way we were taught how to fight, we used spirit energy the way you guys do, but the way we used it was different. We were taught to completely seal away our spirit energy inside ourselves, so that it could circulate throughout our body. By circulate, I mean course through our blood vessels alongside our blood. In that way all of our spirit energy is purified to its most potent form, Chi. Everyone's Chi is different and the only way to utilize it is to remove the properties of spirit energy that everyone else has, leaving behind Chi that is unique to only one person. That's why those balls of energy and their abilities have different colors, because their bodies have filtered out everything that isn't unique to only them. Once only pure Chi is left, it can be used for just about anything. Attacking and defending for example, Karin is channeling the Chi in her arm into the core of her blade. Then by forcing it out, hundreds of explosions occur on the blade's surface causing it to glow, almost like the way the sun works, but Karin can put up a thin barrier to keep the explosions under control. When the blade makes contact with another surface, the barrier breaks, letting the explosions run wild, multiplying the damage her opponents take. Her other arm is preparing to defend, by solidifying Chi to form an almost unbreakable shield around her arm, so she can defend and attack at the same time. Yuzu's way of attacking is almost the exact opposite. She forms a ball of Chi with nothing to hold it in. Then, when she puts it in that hole in her bow, she starts stretching it and imploding it. The more she compresses it, the more powerful the arrow. When it's the size she wants it, she puts up a thin barrier to help keep its shape, and when that arrow connects with another surface, all that power that was locked up will explode outwards, creating a hole in her target. The great thing is she doesn't have to hit whatever she's aiming for because she can control he arrows with her mind and even multiply their numbers if she wants. For defense, Yuzu pours Chi into her bow hardening it from the inside out. You guys following me so far?" he asked. After some nods he hollered, "Okay, that's enough talking. You two keep going, and I'll explain everything else later."

Karin charged at Yuzu, her sword's power at its minimum, since this was only a demonstration. Yuzu took a deep breath, checking to make sure that her arrow wouldn't harm Karin very much, and let it soar. Karin dodged the arrow, disappearing for a heartbeat and reappearing behind Yuzu, bringing her sword down to slash her sister's shoulder. Yuzu swiftly turned and used her bow to block Karin's blade. Taking advantage of an opportunity, Yuzu brought the arrow she had fired earlier around the both of them, divided it into five, and fired them all at Karin. Predicting her sister's tactics, Karin disappeared behind Yuzu again, and this time aimed for her legs, successfully creating a shallow wound. The moment her sister landed, Yuzu had her arrows go under and above Karin, completely surrounding her. The two arrows above her made contact, creating small explosions on her back, but she managed to block the three arrows beneath her using her left arm. Jumping apart, the girls decided to pick up the pace a little. Karin gathered more energy into her blade and swung it down, sending a ball of fire hurdling towards Yuzu. Yuzu fired another arrow; this time though, it was much longer. When the two attacks connected, the golden arrow wrapped around the fire ball and began to constrict it. Once the fire ball couldn't get any thinner, a white light engulfed the training grounds. When everyone could see again, the grounds were completely scorched and blackened. The sisters had each received minor scratches and burns, while everyone else had jumped out of the way to avoid being burned.

The girls got ready to attack again, but Ichigo stepped between them. "Alright that's enough. You guys go home and get some rest," he said. "Hai!" they said. Their weapons and armor disappeared, leaving them in their normal clothes, and necklaces that weren't there before. "Shall I tend to your wounds now?" Unohana-taichou asked them. "No that's alright. Look," Karin said holding out her arms. The cuts and burns were almost gone. "We heal at a faster rate because of our usage of Chi, so there isn't usually any need for healing, but thank you anyway, Unohana-taichou," Yuzu said bowing. "We'll be leaving now," the girls said simultaneously. They walked off the grounds with the other humans, returning to their temporary home. Ichigo stayed behind to answer any questions the shinigami officers had.

"Was that all your sisters could do Kurosaki, or were they holding back?" Hitsugaya-taichou asked. "They were definitely holding back. This was a demonstration after all, so they knew better than to go all out. That was probably about 10 percent of what they can do. Remember when I said that once only pure Chi is left, it can be used for just about anything? It can be used for casting spells and healing others. If you can come up with an incantation, anything is possible with Chi," Ichigo replied.

"Na, Kurosaki-kun," Kyoraku-taichou began, "You can transform too, can't you?" "Of course. How do you think I help my sisters liberate puppet victims?" Ichigo said slightly irritated.

"Are you certain that they will survive an encounter with the three former captains?" Sasakibe-fukutaichou questioned. "I'm 100 percent certain. Do you think I'd get them involved in anything if I thought for a second they couldn't handle it?" That was all they needed to hear.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Traitor's True Face**

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters, only the storyline.

Summary: What if the three traitors were actually being controlled by someone with power to rival that of five captains combined? Will the spell be broken? Who is the true enemy?

'_Italics'_ are thoughts of course.

Chapter 4: A Shocking Secret Revealed, Let the Suffering Begin

"Are you certain that they will survive an encounter with the three former captains?" Sasakibe-fukutaichou questioned. "I'm 100 percent  
certain. Do you think I'd get them involved in anything if I thought for a second they couldn't handle it?" That was all they needed to hear.

Another week later…

(Dream Sequence)

_Bodies were strewn around a female. Running to the closest person, she turned the fallen swordsman over. It was an unconscious and bloodied blonde haired man with no face. Gasping, she stepped back and looked down at the other bodies. There was a woman with silvery hair and small pink-haired child, both caked in blood. Not so far away, a man with distinctive red hair and a man with dark spiky hair lay slain. In total, there were twelve bodies. A flash of bright light caught her eye. She saw warriors in white being pierced through their chests and falling to ground. A chill ran up her spine. Turning, the last thing she saw was orange hair, before a blade slit her throat._

(End Dream)

Letting out cries of bloody murder, Yuzu jolted awake, covered in a cold sweat. Her mind was in a shock and the only thing she registered was that she was in someone's arms. "Guys, do you mind if we have some time alone with her to try to get her to calm down?" she heard a familiar male voice request. "Of course, Kurosaki-kun. Come on Ishida-kun, Sado-kun," a female voice answered. When the footsteps stopped resounding, the male's voice spoke again. "Yuzu, its okay now. It wasn't real. I'm here to protect you remember?" the male's voice continued. Slowly, Yuzu calmed down, still trembling slightly. Opening her eyes, which were closed tightly before, she found she was in Ichigo's lap, his arms wrapped securely around her. Karin sat in front of her stroking head soothingly, her other hand holding her own. Seeing that she was still uneasy, Ichigo kept speaking to her softly, knowing what to say to calm her down. "Yuzu, your Onii-chan is here. Don't you remember? I promised I would protect you and Karin after Mom died remember? I won't let anything happen to you. I promised I'd be there for you, always. Don't you trust me?" he said quietly. Slowly, Yuzu nodded her head, smiling at the memory of the day that her Onii-chan was talking about. "Yuzu can you tell us what it was about?" Karin asked carefully. Taking a deep breath she started "I saw all twelve of the vice-captains laying there covered in blood. I couldn't see any of their faces, but I recognized their hair and uniforms. I recognized the captains because of their white haoris. The captains were fighting something, but they were all stabbed in the chest and defeated. The last thing I saw was orange hair before my throat was slit," she said, trembling a little at the end. "You too!" Karin exclaimed. "So you had this dream too, Karin?" Ichigo breathed. "That's it. We need to talk to Yamamoto-soutaichou tomorrow. You know what it means when the both of you have the same dream," he said. The girls nodded.

When they were granted permission to enter, a great amount of relief flowed through the Kurosaki siblings. Walking into the office of the First Division Captain, they found said captain at his desk, Sasakibe-fukutaichou standing beside him. "What is it that is so urgent, Kurosaki Ichigo?" Yamamoto-soutaichou inquired. "In the Takeuchi clan, sometimes children are born with powers that normal children don't have, not even in our clan. Both of my sisters are psychic to a certain degree. Normally, if one of them has dream, it can be just a dream or an actual premonition, but if both of them have the same dream, without fail, it comes to pass," Ichigo said. "So what is it that they saw?" Yamamoto-soutaichou asked. Ichigo told him of the dream that his sisters had in as much detail as he could. Yamamoto-soutaichou listened calmly, until Ichigo's request took him slightly off guard. "What I'm trying to get at is, I'd like you to give permission for my family and I to train all of the captain and vice-captain level shinigami to use Chi. If you allow us to train them, I can guarantee that their strength will go up at least five fold," he said determinedly. Thinking carefully, Yamamoto-soutaichou gave his answer, "Agreed, you may train all captain and vice-captain level shinigami. Is there anything that you require for this training, Kurosaki Ichigo?" "All our supplies will be in our grasp if you allow us to bring in two people from the real world to help out: One person from the Takeuchi family and one shinigami that has been training in the real world for the past couple weeks." "Alright, I will send escorts to bring these people you request here," Yamamoto-soutaichou dictated. Bowing, all three of them thanked him wholeheartedly and left to prepare. "Yamamoto-soutaichou-dono, I completely trust your judgment, and I mean no disrespect, but I am concerned about your agreeing to their requests. How can you trust this boy?" Sasakibe-fukutaichou asked. "Kurosaki Ichigo has proven himself trustworthy, and if he feels this will benefit Soul Society, then so be it. Furthermore, if it is beneficial he will receive our support, and if it presents a threat, then we must simply eliminate what threatens us. Also, the shinigami he mentioned told me of this training already upon visiting for a short while before returning to the real world to complete it, and I approved." "Understood, please forgive me sir."

Two days following that encounter found all of the captains and vice-captains that were physically capable of attending, (referring to Hinamori Momo who is still in a coma) Madarame Ikkaku, Ayasegawa Yumichika, and the group from the real world in the First Division's meeting room. The Kurosakis stood with two hooded figures with no reiatsu at all a little behind and to the left of Yamamoto-soutaichou, who began to explain the reason for the gathering. Finishing his explanation he asked (with a pointed look that said "If you don't ask now don't open your mouth later and interrupt") "Are there any questions you would like to ask?" Omaeda-fukutaichou asked forwardly the questions almost everyone wanted to ask," How can we trust any of this or you for that matter? How do we know that this training won't destroy us or that those people aren't assassins waiting to annihilate us?" Ichigo smirked at that. "I figured that you'd ask that, so I asked a shinigami to go through the training under one of my most reliable teachers, that taller one over there," he said pointing to the hooded figures. The taller one he mentioned stepped up to stand next to Ichigo and removed the hood. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet my cousin, Takeuchi Shiori, whom I have known, unfortunately, since childhood," he introduced. An orange haired teenage girl, about 16 or 17 years old, got a tick on her forehead and growled, "I heard that Strawberry-head! What do you mean unfortunately, huh _Berry-chan_?"

A similar tick appeared on Ichigo's forehead just before he hissed, "I _meant_ for you to hear _signet_1! And the last time I checked, you have the same hair that I do!"

"Why you little ba-""Ahem!" the other hooded figure cut in. Turning, Ichigo said in a low voice, "We'll finish this later _signet_!" "Fine _Berry-chan_," Shiori sneered.

"As I was saying," Ichigo began again with a pointed glare at Shiori, "I asked a shinigami to train under _her_ since two weeks ago so that I could show you all what would happen if someone completed it. Okay you can take the hood off now," he said. Stepping forward, the unknown shinigami revealed their identity. "You-!" Renji sputtered. (That should help give away the identity. Who does Renji know that hasn't shown up yet in my story?)

In another dimension, a man with pitch black eyes listened as his spy reported the latest development. '_Interesting, so the Takeuchi clan is spreading its knowledge to outsiders. How disgusting, but it will be all the more fun to watch them die by their former comrade's hands. Now who should I send though? All three of them are powerful, but who will give me the most amusement?_' he thought grinning madly. His eyes landed on one of his three favorite puppets. '_Why not_' "Prepare to leave. Once our friend tells us that they've weakened their defenses, then you will go and kill those Takeuchi brats. We can't have them recruiting soldiers, now can we?" Leaving the shadows, a man clad in white replied, "Of course not, Feardorcha-sama."

_Author's Note: I'm very sorry for interrupting, but I'm not sure who the man clad in white is supposed to be, so please tell me if you have a favorite. Please remember, it has to be one of the three traitors. Thank you very much for reading this far, Kokoro._

"It's been a while, Renji," Rukia said in a very amused tone. The last time she managed to get that kind of reaction out of her friend was when she asked him why he was staring off into space one afternoon. He denied every accusation she made, but she knew he had been daydreaming about his not so secret crush. To think that her best friend was crushing on--Ichigo's voice brought her back to the present. "When Rukia came to the real world the second time, she had regained some of her powers, and since she would be in danger and Chi training doesn't require having all of your spirit energy, I decided that she would train under Shiori so that she could at least put up a fight. By the time we all came back to Soul Society, her training wasn't close to finished, so just in case, I told her not to use her Chi until we could finish it up. That's why when she fought that Bounto, she couldn't fight back properly. When she recovered, she asked for permission to go to finish her training, and that's where she's been the past two weeks," he recounted, leaving out as many details as possible so that they could get started as quickly as they could. '_No wonder she doesn't have any reiatsu. I wouldn't even know who she is if I couldn't see her face_' Ukitake-taichou thought taken aback. '_If what they say is true, then she's supposed to be at least five times stronger than she originally was. I can't wait to see if it's true or not_' Zaraki-taichou thought excitedly. Kusajishi Yachiru saw the look on 'Ken-chan's' face and knew that Rukia would have to be careful from now on or she might end up dead.

Shiori received a nod from both Ichigo and Yamamoto-soutaichou and explained the procedures that everyone would be following. "Alright first of all, Chi training is done in stages. Once you start a stage there's no way you can stop until you've completed it fully. If you stop in the middle, you'll end up killing yourself and probably everyone within a mile radius of you. Because of this, you will be put into groups of three or less based on power level. When you are in groups, you will then take turns completing stages under our supervision. That way not all of you will be incapacitated at once if something comes up. Once all stages are complete, we will have a tournament to not only see who is the strongest, but to also allow you to see how much your strength has grown. That's the gist of it, so now I'll divide you into your groups. Firs-" "Hold on a minute," Omaeda-fukutaichou commanded loudly, stepping into the middle of the room. "I still don't believe any of this stuff. Just because that girl learned to suppress her reiatsu, doesn't mean she got any stronger. I'd say you're just conning us," he declared arrogantly. "I suggest that you stand down Omaeda-fukutaichou," Rukia said calmly. "Like hell I'll stand down. You're nothing but a spoiled brat. Just because you're nobility you think you can boss people around huh? Well you are damn wrong," he proclaimed haughtily. "Omaeda-fukutaichou you will stand down immediately!" Komamura-taichou ordered. "No, please allow him to continue. I would like you all to see the aftermath of this outburst," Shiori stated, looking towards Yamamoto-soutaichou. Receiving a nod in response to her request, Shiori smiled knowingly, waiting to see the ignorant shinigamis' faces when this little scene was over. "I have good mind to hack off one of your arms right now Kuchiki," Omaeda persisted. "Well then, why don't you go ahead and try Nibantai-fukutaichou-dono2," Rukia responded dangerously. "You bitch! Smash _Gegetsuburi_!" he screeched, releasing his zanpakuto. Rukia stood there unfazed, expressionless. "I'll tear you arm to shreads!" Omaeda hurled the spiked ball at her right shoulder, planning to make it so she'll never wield a sword again, but his attack couldn't even pierce the shinigami robes that Rukia wore. One of _Gegetsuburi's _spikes made contact with the material on her right shoulder and the entire weapon stopped all together. Then all of a sudden, _Gegetsuburi _started crumbling to pieces, until it was nothing but black dust on the meeting room's floor. Stumbling backwards in fear, Omaeda only managed to stutter, "How-? But she-and that–and-and…" "Omeada Marechiyo that is quite enough out of you. Now will you please move out of my way or will another demonstration be in order?" Rukia questioned tonelessly as she stepped forward. Scrambling to get out of the way Omaeda begged for mercy and forgiveness, forgetting that he was in front of all the Gotei 13 captains.

As Rukia left for unknown reasons only one thought crossed her mind '_Pathetic__ scum_'

1. signet- French for bookmark. Shiori in Japanese means bookmark, so he calls her that to tease her about her name, which she is sensitive about.

2. Nibantai-fukutaichou-dono- Second Division Vice Captain sir. She's saying it sarcastically to make him mad like she did to Renji in the Bleach Manga Chapter 59 pg 7


	5. Chapter 5

**The Traitor's True Face**

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters, only the storyline.

Summary: What if the three traitors were actually being controlled by someone with power to rival that of five captains combined? Will the spell be broken? Who is the true enemy?

'_Italics'_ are thoughts of course.

Chapter 5: Attacked! Another Glimpse Into the Takeuchi's Strength

As Rukia left for unknown reasons only one thought crossed her mind '_Pathetic__ scum_'

Silence. Deafening Silence. That's all anyone could her after the door shut behind Kuchiki Rukia. Kuchiki Rukia, whom just destroyed a vice-captain's zanpakuto without even moving a muscle in her body. Speechless, no one could move until Yamamoto-soutaichou called for everyone's attention. "In light of this latest development, Omaeda Marechiyo, it is clear that you are not fit to be a vice-captain, and as such, you will be removed from your position, and will begin anew as an unseated officer in the Second Division. I expect that you will return your vice-captain's badge by 9:00 am tomorrow. Now return home to await further instruction." Yamamoto-soutaichou dismissed. Omaeda fled like a dog with his tail between his legs. Deciding that there had been enough delay, Shiori started again," Since Omaeda isn't joining you all, I'll have to change the groupings a little, so we might as well start after lunch. Please be at the Eleventh Division's training grounds once your stomachs are full," Shiori instructed. "Okay, come on you guys, we have to help Rukia get ready," Ichigo said. With that they all disappeared through the door just as Rukia did before them. "Please be there no later than 2:00. Dismissed," Yamamoto-soutaichou commanded.

Around 1:30 pm found Zaraki Kenpachi sharpening his sword in his office. To be honest, it didn't really need sharpening; he was just doing it for lack of anything better to do. Zaraki-taichou had just finished for a heartbeat, when a thundering crash pierced his senses. Stepping through the door, he found something very out of the ordinary. What had caused the crash was a bunch of huge hollows, but what was out of the ordinary was, their masks were pitch black. Thinking that this would help kill some time, Zaraki-taichou decided to drop in, seeing as some of the other shinigami were having problems. On the way, he saw Hitsugaya-taichou and his vice-captain heading towards the same direction. Not wanting to be out done, Zaraki-taichou sped up, raising his blade. Aiming straight for the head, he brought down his zanpakuto, going for the kill. His blade only met air. He watched confused as his sword went through the Hollow as if it wasn't even there at all. His guard had slipped in that moment and the Hollow swung his arm down upon Zaraki-taichou, sending him crashing to the ground. He came up unharmed of course, only to see Hitsugaya-taichou meet the same fate. To make things worse, more black masked Hollows appeared around Seireitei. All of the captains and their subordinates were fighting, but even their blades couldn't make a scratch. Zaraki-taichou stubbornly swung his blade down in various places, hoping to at least find a weak point, but to no avail. Hitsugaya-taichou had even brought out his Bankai, and the Hollows remained unharmed. Landing on a roof top, Zaraki-taichou met up with his vice-captain, who happened to be cranky since she was awakened too early from her favorite afternoon nap time. She had arrived in time to see Matsumoto-fukutaichou barely manage to catch her taichou's body, after he'd been dealt a fatal blow. Tension was mounting, and many were confused and desperate. That is, until a group of people finally made their entrance. Fireballs shot out of no where and destroyed two of the black masked Hollows simultaneously. Looking up, Zaraki-taichou found Kurosaki Karin standing on a rooftop, holding her weapon at the ready. She leapt off the rooftop, and recited, "**Zerstörende kunst Zwanzig eine: Weiße Feuer-Kanone** " (Destructive Art Twenty One: White Fire Cannon) A barrel of white flame erupted from Karin's hand and tore through three Hollows obliterating them. She landed next to Hitsugaya-taichou and his vice-captain, continuing to fire White Fire Cannons from there so that she could protect the injured captain. Eventually they'd all disappeared from her view except for one. The largest and strongest of them all. Pouring Chi into her blade, she leaped into the air and swung down her blade, sending a wave of orange light hurtling at unbelievable speeds towards the Hollow. When the attack was about to make impact, the Hollow just disappeared. Karin called off the attack, drawing it back into her body. Now she turned her attention to the injured captain. "Matsumoto-fukutaichou, please step back, so that I can treat him," she said. Matsumoto-fukutaichou looked doubtful for a moment, but then stepped away. Karin studied the wound on his abdomen which was bleeding profusely. After making sure there would be no mistaking his injury, she recited another incantation, "**Heilende kunst siebenundsiebzig: Grüner Nebel**" (Healing Art Seventy Seven: Green Mist) A green mist flowed from her hand to fully encompass Histugaya-taichou, whose wounds were disappearing at an amazing speed. After five minutes, he was in perfect health and regaining consciousness. His eyes opened and he sat up carefully. "You don't have to worry, Hitsugaya-taichou. You're fully healed," Karin assured him. "Arigatou," Hitsugaya-taichou said. "You're welcome. Come on we'd better get out of here to wait for the others. You guys too," she said to the Eleventh Division captain and vice-captain, who had been watching from afar. Karin, keeping her armor on in case, went to the Eleventh Division's Training Grounds with the four shinigami in tow.

(At the same time all that happened, but in a different place…)

Another boom resounded as the black masked Hollows tore down another building. The captains of the Sixth, Eighth, and Thirteenth Divisions, along with the Sixth and Eight Division vice-captains could do nothing to stop them, as their blades wouldn't cut. Even though it had only been a short time, injuries were starting to add up. A few shallow wounds weren't normally anything to worry about, but the blood loss was starting to make their vision blurry. Abarai-fukutaichou barely got out of the way of a falling building in time, only to be knocked down by a Hollow's tail. When he made contact with the ground, there was an unmistakable snap. The Hollow opened its jaws, preparing to devour Renji. Just as he was about to be eaten, Renji felt himself being lifted and carried somewhere. All of the captains and Ise-fukutaichou watched as Kuchiki Rukia carried a fatally injured Renji towards them. Upon landing she asked for them to give her some room. Setting him down, she carefully studied his wounds and found that along with a gash on his arm, his back was broken also. First things first, she had to place a barrier around everyone so that there would be no interference from the Hollows. Concentrating she intoned, "**Verteidigende kunst fünfzig neun: Schwarzes Netz**" (Defending Art Fifty Nine: Black Web) A black spider's web surrounded everyone in time to block a Hollow's fist. Now, Rukia set to working on Renji. She uttered, "**Heilende kunst achtzig eine: Rekonstruktion**" (Healing Art Eighty One: Reconstruction) A soft red light engulfed Renji and the shinigami watched as his body's flesh started to reappear at an alarmingly fast speed. Before long, Renji was wide awake and thanking Rukia. Brushing off his thanks, she decided to care for everyone else as well. After checking to make there were no life threatening injuries, she used her Chi magic again, "**Heilende kunst sechzig sechs: Block-Krankenpflege**" (Healing Art Sixty Six: Cluster Nursing) Everyone's wounds turned white for a moment before disappearing. After checking the barrier she said, "Everyone please remain inside this barrier while I dispose of the Hollows." Before anyone could object, she stepped out of the barrier. Ukitake-taichou tried to go after her, but found out that the barrier also kept things _in_ as well as out. Jumping to the highest point she could find, Rukia decided to use her Chi all the way, not ready to reveal her transformation just yet. Raising her hands she said loudly, "**Zerstörende kunst vierzig drei: Beleuchtung Dusche**" (Destructive Art Forty Three: Lightening Shower) Bolts of lightening shot from her hands destroying Hollows one after the other, until they were all gone. Taking a deep breath, she dispersed the barrier she'd set up and shunpoed to their side. "Please follow me. Everyone else must be waiting," she said in monotone. Not checking to see of they were following she shunpoed to the Eleventh Division's Training Grounds. She was oblivious to the worry she caused the group behind her to feel. Ukitake-taichou wanted to order her to stop and tell him what was wrong. The only reason he didn't was because now wasn't the time for personal problems, but later he knew he was going to find out somehow if it was the last thing he did. In the public eye they were simply captain and subordinate, but in the ridiculously large family known as the Thirteenth Division, everyone knew that Ukitake-taichou treated Rukia like his own daughter. Rukia was lucky the squad members hadn't seen her like this yet, or else she would have never gotten out of there until someone saved her. The entire division knew who she was since she hung around their captain, and they all loved her. She was like the Thirteenth Division's own personal princess. Seeing her this way would have made them want to throttle the person who made her so upset. He wasn't the only one that was deep in thought. Renji was at the point where he wanted to tear his hair out. Since he saw Rukia in the meeting room a few hours ago, he _knew_ there was something off about her, but what? Not knowing what was wrong with his best friend made him feel so helpless, and it wasn't just him, Kuchiki-taichou was concerned for his younger sister also. Since her near execution, their relationship had become closer, if only a little. They still didn't know each other very well, but he knew enough to know that this wasn't normal. Even the members of the Eighth Division knew something was off with the young noble. Kyoraku-taichou enjoyed barging into the Thirteenth Division unannounced to visit Ukitake-taichou, and usually found Rukia close by, so he ended up chatting to her a lot, even when she was busy. Of course Ise-fukutaichou had to come "or else who knows where he might end up?" in her own words. Rukia was never this cold or distant. She wouldn't even meet anyone's eyes. What was wrong with her?!

Rukia's group was the last to arrive at the Eleventh Division's Training Grounds. Everyone had gathered, and they all looked to be in perfect condition. When everyone had sttled, the shinigami and the humans from the real world noticed the grim expressions on the Takeuchi clan members and Kuchiki Rukia's faces. Clearing her throat, Shiori spoke," The situation has gotten dire. Feardorcha's known for sending out black masked Hollows before he attacks, so everyone must be on high alert, and those in training must try to finish as quickly as possible, so that everyone can finish learning the basics before Feardorcha decides to strike. Now when I announce your groups, go to stand next to your partner or partners. Okay, first Kyoraku-taichou and Ukitake-taichou. Next, Kuchiki-taichou and Soi Fong-taichou. Next, Abarai-fukutaichou and Madarame-san. Next, Histugaya-taichou and Komamura-taichou. Next, Kurotsuchi-fukutaichou and Ayasegawa-san. Next, Kira-fukutaichou and Hisagi-fukutaichou. Next, Matsumoto-fukutaichou and Kusajishi-fukutaichou. Next, Kotetsu-fukutaichou will be with Hinamori-fukutaichou when she wakes. Next, a group of Ise-fukutaichou, Iba-fukutaichou, and Sasakibe-fukutaichou. Lastly, a group of Zaraki-taichou, Unohana-taichou, and Kurotsuchi-taichou," she said with a small smirk. In 3…2…1…"WHAT?!?!" both Zaraki-taichou and Kurotsuchi-taichou protested. "Ara, do we have a problem here?" Shiori said, her smirk growing ridiculously large. "If anyone would like to have a change in their groups, you must defeat the five of us in a five on one battle, then I'll consider it," she said indicating Ichigo, the twins, Rukia and herself. Kurotsuchi-taichou backed down with a huff, but Zaraki-taichou, of course, accepted the challenge. "Che, bring it on. I'll get a fight and I won't have to be stuck with _him_. It's my lucky day," he said unabashedly. Sighing Shiori decided to use more forceful methods," You can't beat us if you can't move Zaraki-taichou. **Verbindliche kunst elf: Luft-Beschränkung**"(Binding Art Eleven: Air Confinement) the air around Zaraki-taichou started to constrict until there was an invisible force sealing his movements. No matter how hard he struggled, the spell wouldn't budge. "Now if there are any more complaints, please speak now…..None? Good. Let's get started shall we?"


	6. Chapter 6

**The Traitor's True Face**

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters, only the storyline.

Summary: What if the three traitors were actually being controlled by someone with power to rival that of five captains combined? Will the spell be broken? Who is the true enemy?

'_Italics'_ are thoughts of course.

Chapter 6: Traveling to Stärker Werden

"Now if there are any more complaints, please speak now…..None? Good let's get started shall we?"

"Ichigo take over while I open up the gate," Shiori commanded. "Karin, Yuzu, Rukia, I'm going to need your help." Nodding, the girls followed Shiori a ways back and began drawing glyphs in the ground. Casting a glance one last glance in their direction, Ichigo began explaining _some of _what would happen in the First Stage. "Normally, the training you're going to go through takes at least two years finish, but since there isn't enough time, you're all going to train in another dimension, _Stärker Werden_, which means 'become stronger' The passage of time is different there, so let's say a minute passed here, but in Stärker Werden 52 minutes have passed. Meaning, if one hour passed here, 52 hours have passed there. In short, your 2 year training will be finished in 2 weeks time or maybe even less. This is the same dimension almost every Chi user has trained in, and the only ones who know how to reach it are the students of the Takeuchi clan. Right now, those guys are opening the gate way as we speak, so I'll make this quick. Two groups will go to Stärker Werden at a time to complete the First Stage. Four of us will be in Stärker Werden with the trainees, but one of us will be here at all times in case Feardorcha decides to attack. You guys can ask that person any questions you have about the training or Chi in general. Stärker Werden tends to drain energy faster than this world, so we'll be switching places regularly. Alright, that's about all I can tell you without signet getting mad at me. She's a sadist, so she likes to leave people in the dark for as long as possible, especially those who are studying under her. Oi! Signet! You done yet?!" he yelled. Shiori got a large tick on her forehead…again, "You have eyes don't ya Berry-chan?!" Just as she said that a pair of dark blue double doors came up from the ground soundlessly. "Okay, first two groups step forward, Ukitake-taichou and Kyoraku-taichou along with Kira-fukutaichou and Hisagi-fukutaichou. Okay you four come stand next to me. Everyone else step back. Also, Rukia could you stay with them first?" Shiori said in one breath. Sweat dropping slightly at her Shiori's lung capacity she answered," Of course." Grinning, Shiori opened the double doors, revealing a bright light. "Take care of yourself Rukia. Don't over do it! Okay you four," she said indicating the shinigami, "the instant you step through this door, start running as fast as you can, got it? Good. Follow me!" she said running through the doors. The four shinigami stood there, unsure of Shiori's state of mind at the moment. Seeing their uncertainty, Yuzu said in a reassuring tone," Don't worry. Just run at top speed until you get to the other side. Onii-chan, Karin-chan, and I will be right behind you, so there's nothing to worry about. Shiori-onee-chan just gets like that sometimes," she said with a smile. Nodding, all four shinigami ran through the doors, trailed by the Kurosakis. A moment after they left, Rukia closed the doors tightly, just as Shiori instructed her. Letting out a deep slow breath, she walked over to one of the many trees surrounding the training grounds, sat down, and closed her eyes, deciding it would be good for her health to meditate for a while. She'd been overly stressed and her body had been suffering because of it. What with trying to rescue three captains, making sure that her loved ones don't get injured, the decision Yamamoto-soutaichou gave her, and the meeting she had to get to tonight, all wrapped into one day, who wouldn't be stressed? To think it had only been a few hours ago she had come home, it was almost like a dream. What she wasn't aware of was, almost everyone's eyes were on her. Many meters away, Renji watched as a pained expression flashed across Rukia's face before disappearing. She opened her eyes, revealing clouded blue orbs. Renji wanted to comfort her somehow, but he didn't know how, so he decided that maybe it would be best to give her some breathing room for now. Kuchiki-taichou's thoughts were along the same lines. They weren't the only ones worrying over Rukia though. There was someone you'd never expect, looking at her with concerned eyes. _He_ was hoping that she would be at their meeting place tonight.

(With the group going to Stärker Werden)

Now they knew why they had to run at top speed. _**The walls around them were collapsing, and not even their top speed was helping!!!**_ The four of them were just a _little_ panicky at the moment. The Kurosakis, who were right behind them as promised, couldn't help but snicker at their expressions. They had been here countless times, so they were used to impending doom surrounding them as they ran, but apparently they weren't. Luckily, the end of the gate way was right before them, in the form of a bright light. When the party of seven stepped through the bright light, they found themselves about 50 miles above ground. The four shinigami, who were just a _little_ panicky before, were now _mildly_ panicky. Seeing that there was nothing to catch them after falling some number of yards, they became _very _panicky. Ichigo, deciding they had been tortured enough, called out, "**Verteidigende kunst neunzehn: Wirbelnde Winde!**" (Defending Art Nineteen: Swirling Winds) The air beneath them came together to form an invisible swirling platform, which they landed on with a bounce. The four shinigami were now _not as_ panicky as before. The wind carried them to the ground, where Shiori was waiting for them. "Well it sure took you long enough. I waited almost an hour for you guys to show up!" she said irritated. "You don't have to exaggerate that much," Hisagi-fukutaichou commented. "Actually she did wait almost an hour. The passage of time is different here remember?" Yuzu corrected. "Che. It was her own fault for going ahead without us. She's not only a sadist, but a masochist too," Ichigo said. The next minute he was dodging a large rock. "Time to get started. First, stand next to your partner on either side of me," Shiori instructed. Ukitake-taichou and Kyoraku-taichou stood on her right, while Kira-fukutaichou and Hisagi-fukutaichou stood on her left. Karin went to stand next to the two fukutaichous and Yuzu went to stand next to the two taichous. They needed to be there in case things got out of hand, since Shiori and Ichigo would be incapacitated by the spells they were about to cast. When they were in place Ichigo cast the first spell. "**Verteidigende kunst achtzig neun: Ecke vier Schild**" (Defending Art Eighty Nine: Four Corner Shield) the ground between the two groups split, and a glass like material rose up. Each of the four corners had a different glyph engraved into it, in a language only the elders of the Takeuchi clan could decipher. Without giving them any explanation, Shiori called out another incantation,"** Verbindliche kunst neunzig eine: Energie-Dichtung**" (Binding Art Ninety One: Energy Seal) Four beams of black shot from her hands and straight into the four shinigami. Instantly, they found it hard to breath, and their strength leaving them. It was like they'd bee drained of all their energy. The zanpakutos that were at their sides disappeared also. "What did you do Shiori-san?!" Ukitake-taichou questioned. "I've simply sealed away your spirit energy deep inside your soul. The purpose of the first stage is to make it so that sealing away your energy becomes second nature to you, effortless, even when you're caught up in a battle. Drilling it into your brains would take too long, so this is a much faster alternative. Also, this is to show you how dependant you've all become upon your spirit energy. You have it in you brains that if you have some spirit energy left, you'll be okay, but that's not always true. In this period of time, you'll remember what it's like to only have your blade. Here catch!" she said. She threw them each a katana. "Since your spirit energy is sealed, you won't be able to use your zanpakutos, so you'll be using these," Shiori said. "Using them for what exactly?" Kira-fukutaichou asked. "Fighting of course. The entire time you are here, you will be sparing with your partner. The shield is there to make sure you don't interfere with each other's battles. There aren't any rules except for one. Don't get killed," she said smiling. "Now hurry up and get to it."

(With the group that is waiting patiently for their turns…..sort of)

"Damn it. What is taking so freakin' long?!?! Hey Kuchiki! How long do we have to wait?!?!?" one very annoyed Madarame Ikkaku asked/shouted. Turning her attention to the annoyed third seat, Rukia gave him a contemplative look. "You seem to be a little high strung Madarame-san. Is there a reason for it? After all only around nine minutes have passed," she said looking him directly in the eye in such a way that had never failed to shut up the person on the receiving end, until now. "Anyone would be 'high strung' in this atmosphere! Everyone's so damned quiet and tense. It's like someone just died or something, and we don't even know what the hell's going to happen once we go to this 'dimension' of yours!" he retorted. Her eyebrow rising slightly, Rukia smiled a small, almost eerily devilish smile, as she realized what was bothering the agitated shinigami. "I see, so that's why you're so up tight. It seems Shiori-san's taunting has worked on you. It's surprising, I thought that no one here would crack, but it seems you have," she said, biting back a laugh. "_What did you say?_" he hissed. Smiling her still eerily devilish smile, Rukia explained, "Shiori-san, as you might not know, is an insatiable sadist. Wherever she can find prey, she'll strike. Especially, if they happen to be her students for a period of time, but she doesn't do it only for her own amusement. She also does it to see if you have strong enough resolve to survive her training. Those who lose control, such as you just did, she doubles the difficulty of their training as punishment for being weak minded," pausing, Rukia looked at him with unearthly cold eyes as she said in a low voice, "So Madarame-san, I suggest that you be silent, have a seat, and try to calm down while you wait, because if your resolve breaks, _you will with out a doubt die before you even raise your weapon,_" she said as a cold wind blew through out the training grounds. "I also suggest that you do not cross me again, because I'm in a very unpleasant mood, and Shiori-san has given me permission to restrain trouble makers in any way I wish," she informed in a tone that made even Kurotsuchi-taichou of the Twelfth Division cringe inwardly. Renji stood gaping at his childhood friend. Kuchiki-taichou, remaining stoic, was very surprised at her new found boldness. One shinigami _captain_ just stood there smirking to himself. He'd been the receiving end of that tone many times before and knew how…unsettling it could be. Not that he felt any sympathy for Madarame anyway. He was the one that was stupid enough to provoke Rukia when she was in a bad mood. Rukia smiled to herself inwardly. It wasn't like she was going to actually hurt anyone; she just needed to keep them quiet until Shiori-san came back. She hoped that Shiori-san wasn't doing anything too drastic though. She had been gone for two weeks, so she was unaware of her captain's health. She knew that he was one of the most powerful captains in the Gotei 13, but still, she was starting to get an uneasy sensation in her stomach.

(With the group in Stärker Werden)

Sword against sword. Shinigami against shinigami. Stärker Werden was filled with thunder claps as the blades the four shinigami wielded made contact. They were going into their 20th day of training (9 minutes in Soul Society). Karin and Yuzu watched over their charges, amazed at their progress. Of course they knew of how talented the high ranking officers were supposed to be, but this was insane. Their reiatsu was almost gone. The energy seal Shiori used on them was only for sealing away their power, but it still left behind a sort of Chi signature that anyone could track. The whole point of the First Stage was to be able to seal away your spirit energy, and at the same time, erase all traces of your Chi signature. Normally, that was only accomplished in the last stretch of time before the limit was up, but these guys were almost invisible (in a sense), and they weren't even at the half way point. '_What are they?_' Karin thought.

Shiori observed her students with a content expression. They were doing even better than she'd hoped. Her emerald green eyes fixed themselves on the pair of fukutaichous. It seemed that without their zanpakutos, Hisagi-fukutaichou and Kira-fukutaichou were almost an even match. The only two things that separated them were Kira-fukutaichou's light build, increasing his swiftness and Hisagi-fukutaichou's slightly more muscular build, thus giving him a strength advantage. Other than that, they could match each other hit for hit. Slowly, her eyes trailed to the taichous on the other side of the barrier. Upon seeing their progress, Shiori's eyes glinted in delight. '_Those two are going be very fun to observe after this training is finished,_' she thought, referring to the tournament that would take place. The two taichous were getting faster and faster with every step they took. It seemed they'd allforgotten how hard it was to breathe at the beginning of the first day. Bringing her mind back to the present, she saw that they were almost too strong for the barrier. Almost. Smirking, she dragged her gaze to settle on Ichigo, who was having a difficult time holding up the barrier. This was why she had _him_ set up the barrier, and they both knew it. He would have made her do it, but there wasn't time to argue. Feardorcha was moving, and he'd be damned if he let anyone die. Shiori's eyes became concerned, when she saw Ichigo wince in pain. "Ichigo, "she called using his name. "I'm fine Shiori. There's only a little more time left. I can hold out until then," he said leaving no room for argument. Shiori only hmphed in acknowledgement. '_Who asked you Strawberry head? And since when do you call me by my fist name' _she thought, but she knew for a fact that she was worried. They may not act like it, but they cared about each other, just like brother and sister. They were just…in an everlasting denial. '_Hold on for just a little bit longer, Ichigo. Then when we go back, you can rest. Don't give out on me just yet,'_ Shiori thought watching him. Ichigo had the most Chi she'd ever seen, but even he had a limit. '_Just 3 more days Ichigo' _(1.5 minutes in Soul Society)

Day turned to night twice more, until the final day came. Everyone was exhausted. Ichigo and Shiori from maintaining their spells. Karin and Yuzu from lack of food and sleep. The four shinigami from their never-ending battles that lasted 43 days straight. (20 minutes in Soul Society) Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Shiori allowed them to stop. Everyone gathered around her, as Ichigo lowered the Four Corner Shield, while at the same time dropping down to the ground. Karin and Yuzu collected the katanas from their charges, returning them to Shiori. After tucking them away into a safe place, Shiori lifted the energy seal. Four black masses emerged from the shinigami's bodies and dissipated. Immediately, they could feel the Chi surging through their bodies, and their zanpakutos returned. They'd never felt so…energized before. It was as if thousands of pounds had been lifted from their shoulders, and now, they felt weightless. Shiori grinned, watching they awe on their faces. "That's what it feels like to use pure Chi. It's amazing, isn't it? It makes you feel like the most powerful person ever, but don't you dare think that way," she said seriously. "Although you've gained more power, you've still yet to understand it and how to control it. That is why, until you all have completed this training, you _must not_ allow your Chi to flow freely. Keep it all inside of you until the training is complete. For now, you are able to kill those black masked hollows with your swords, but that is your limit. Understood?" Receiving nods, she smiled. "Well then let's go home shall we?" She opened the gateway again and they all stepped through. Once again, the walls of they gateway were caving in around them, making it look like there was absolutely no chance of survival whatsoever, _but _this time the four shinigami were much faster now, so they just enjoyed the exercise.

(With the group in waiting…)

Ever since Rukia had effectively shut up Madarame Ikkaku, the Eleventh Division Training Grounds had been mostly quiet. Some shinigami had taken a seat to relax a little. Some had spoken to their partners quietly to pass the time. Finally, the dark blue double doors creaked open. Rukia went to stand next to the doors to greet them, and to make sure no one was seriously injured. One by one, they stepped through the doors with Shiori in the lead. Once everyone was out, Rukia closed the doors once more to make sure nothing unwanted came out. The shinigami who had been waiting were to say the least, shocked. Everyone who had stepped through the double doors, now had no reiatsu at all, even Kurosaki Ichigo, who just 20 minutes ago, was leaking reiatsu like an unstoppable faucet. Yawning, Shiori reached into a small pouch that she had brought with her. She took out four small red pills, about the size of apple seeds. Swallowing one of the pills, she tossed the other three to her cousins. "Ano, what did you just swallow, Shiori-san?" Ukitake-taichou questioned. Putting the pouch away, Shiori said, "These are Vitality Pills developed by our ancestors. Swallow one, and you're fully reenergized. Every member of the Takeuchi clan keeps some on hand in case they run out of energy at any given time." Stretching, Shiori closed her eyes for a moment, deciding which two groups would be next. Opening her eyes, she announced, "Okay, time for the next group. You've all seen the results of the First Stage, so there should be no questioning the potency of this training, correct?...Good. Next up, Kuchiki-taichou with Soi Fon-taichou and Abarai-fukutaichou with Madarame-san. Rukia, please switch places with Strawberry head." Nodding, Rukia went to stand next to Shiori, while an annoyed Ichigo waited a few feet away to shut the doors.

Shiori reminded the four shinigami to run at top speed until they reached the other side, and then opened the doors. Turning, she waved at Ichigo, saying," Take care Berry-chan! Don't get yourself killed!" and she ran through the doors before Ichigo could retort. Shortly afterwards, everyone followed after her. Just before the doors were shut behind them, Rukia smiled a peaceful smile for the first time since she'd come home. '_Thank you, Shiori-san._'


	7. Chapter 7

**The Traitor's True Face**

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters, only the storyline.

Summary: What if the three traitors were actually being controlled by someone with power to rival that of five captains combined? Will the spell be broken? Who is the true enemy?

'_Italics'_ are thoughts of course.

Chapter 7: A Sister's Unspoken Love

Just before the doors were shut behind them, Rukia smiled a peaceful smile for the first time since she'd come home. '_Thank you, Shiori-san._"

With Shiori in the lead, they ran as quickly as possible towards the exit. The instant they stepped through the opening, Yuzu said quietly, "**Verteidigende kunst neunzehn: Wirbelnde Winde**" A platform of wind caught them, as Shiori shot Yuzu an unhappy look clearly meaning, 'What did you do that for? I at least wanted them to panic!' Yuzu smiled apologetically, casting a glance at Rukia. Letting out a silent sigh, Shiori nodded, indicating that she understood. Yuzu guided the platform of wind towards the ground, and minutes later, everyone had landed.

'_Here we go again,_' Shiori thought. "Okay. To start, stand with your partner on either side of me," she ordered. Once the shinigami, along with Yuzu and Karin, were in position, Shiori chanted, "**Verteidigende kunst achtzig neun: Ecke vier Schild**" Once more, the Four Corner Shield rose from the ground. Taking a deep breath, Rukia chanted, "**Verbindliche kunst neunzig eine: Energie-Dichtung**" Four black masses erupted from the palm of Rukia's hand, entering the chests of the four shinigami. Rukia watched as her spell took effect. Their reiatsu almost disappeared, along with their strength and zanpakutos. Breathing became taxing. Just standing upright became difficult. It made her heart clench. '_I'm sorry Renji, Nii-sama, but this must be done._' Keeping her face blank, Rukia watched as Karin and Yuzu began reciting the very words Shiori spoke earlier.

(In Soul Society…)

Ichigo sat there, bored with nothing to do. Naturally his mind started to wander. '_Man, I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for Rukia, but I still can't blame her for worrying. This training gets more and more dangerous the longer you wait to complete it. In the real world, if someone hasn't completed this training by the age of 30, it becomes risky to try to go through it.That's why the children of the Takeuchi clan begin training the day that they learn how to walk. I would worry too. I mean, how old are these people? Plus add in the amount of spirit energy that these guys have. If the wrong sensei had been chosen, this training might have killed them. Good thing that signet was free. She specializes in these cases despite her age._'

(In Starker Werden)

Stillness. There was only stillness behind Rukia's closed eyes. From the start her eyes had been closed, allowing her mind to only focus on the four beings that were in battle. She heard nothing. She saw nothing. She only felt the presence of four suppressed powers before her, two more so than the others. Eventually she would have to open her eyes when their Chi signatures disappeared, but until then, in these crucial beginning stages, her eyes would remain closed. Shiori watched her former pupil from a distance, wishing there was something she could do for Rukia, but she knew that if she interfered, things would only get worse. '_How blind can someone be to their own loved one's pain?_' Shiori thought looking back to this morning, just before everyone had gathered at the First Division.

_Flashback_

_"Shiori-dono?" Rukia called as they waited in the secluded room provided for them until the Kurosakis arrived. Turning, Shiori looked at her companion with an annoyed expression. "How many times have I told you not to be so formal? You can call me Shiori-san remember?" Blinking, Rukia nodded. "Well then… Shiori-san may I ask a favor of you?" Grinning widely Shiori said, "Of course. You're one of my favorite students after all!" Looking at the floor, Rukia requested quietly, "Well, I know I'm not as experienced as the rest of you, but when Re- I mean Abarai-fukutaichou and Kuchiki-taichou have their turn, would you allow me to be there to oversee their training?" Shiori's grin faded, her eyes becoming humorless, "Why?" Rukia's expression became unreadable. "I am concerned because of the age and power risks. They are a part of my family, and I can't get the thought of them being injured out of my mind," she said quietly. Moving to stand in front of Rukia, Shiori began carefully, "You know that I always have thorough information on all of my students, and including the information you, that Strawberry head, and his friends have given me, I have a simple question. You wishing to protect Abarai-fukutaichou is understandable, but why would you wish to protect your brother? The way I see it, the past few times he actually helped you, he was only keeping his promise to his late wife. He doesn't truly care for you at all, so why is it that you care so much whether he is injured or not?" Rukia's eyes widened considerably in disbelief. Shiori had just asked her the very question she'd been asking herself for so long. There was a spark of pain in her chest. Letting out a slow, quivering breath, Rukia looked up with eyes that held a profound sadness that had been locked away for many years. "I cannot explain why I care so much, but I only know this: My brother took me into his home, opening doors for me that others only dream of walking through. He's given me luxuries that many would die for. He's saved my life more than once and I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him. Even if Nii-sama only did those things to honor the promise he made to my late sister, I am still grateful to him, and I care for him very much even if he doesn't return my feelings. Should I thank my brother for the rest of my life, it still wouldn't be enough to show my gratitude." Shiori continued looking into her eyes with her piercing gaze. "Even if you care for your brother, why do you try so hard?" Not being able to take the onslaught of Shiori's gaze, Rukia looked away again, answering quietly. "I already told you, I am grateful to him, so I do not want his efforts to go to waste. I am trying to become everything he expects from me so that he won't see me as a burden to bear but as someone he can be proud to call his sister. _'Rukia during the 2 years we spent in Starker Werden together, you became like a sister to me and confided in me secrets that only few know about, but I never imagined that you would be suffering so much,' _Shiori thought. "What of your younger brother?" Shiori asked. Looking up again slowly, Rukia answered confidently, "My younger brother hasn't aged enough to where he is put at risk by it. Because of that, his power level does not present as large a risk as it would if he were older. Therefore I have no need to worry over him. He knows how to take care of himself." Turning away, Shiori said in a blank tone, "Rukia, both Kuchiki-taichou and Abarai-fukutaichou will be going to Starker Werden at the same time, and you will be charged with the task of casting the Energy Seal. Also, you will be there to oversee your younger brother's training as a replacement for me, as I will be exhausted and utterly worthless by then, even after a Vitality Pill." Before Rukia could thank Shiori, the door opened to reveal Ichigo beckoning them to the meeting hall._

_End Flashback_

Dragging herself back to the present, Shiori's emerald green gaze zoned in on Kuchiki Byakuya, who was sparring with fellow captain, Soi Fon, at the moment. '_Kuchiki Byakuya, the most famed shinigami captain of the Gotei 13 and leader of the prominent Kuchiki clan, you certainly are someone to be reckoned with, but even the strongest men are flawed. It is not that you are not perceptive or that you do not know how to love. It is not that you cannot see the love and respect people hold for you. It is the fact that you are afraid of losing a loved one again. Because of that fear, you've built walls around your heart that are impossible to climb, impossible to break. If you would willingly lower your walls for a moment, it would ease your pain and the pain of the people who love you, and you would realize that it is alright to love others. You must realize that they are not going to leave so easily. You must realize that Rukia is not Hisana._'

Yards away, Rukia had allowed her mind to briefly drift back to when she had opened her heart to Shiori, and even though it caused her heart to clench in her chest, the memory also renewed her resolve. '_That's right. Even if he does not return my feelings, I will still keep fighting. I will show him that none of his efforts to get me where I am today have gone to waste. That is why I will get better and stronger until the day I can be his equal. All I can do until that day is develop my powers and use them to aid him should he ever need it. It is not much, and it hurts sometimes, but that is enough._'

The second group of shinigami battled on until the final hour, and at last, Shiori allowed them to stop. The Four Corner Shield lowered into the ground, and Rukia lifted the Energy Seal. The black masses rose from the four shinigami's chests and dissipated. In a heartbeat, their strength returned and with it, their zanpakutos as well. After warning them in the same words she used earlier, Shiori opened the gateway, and the group of eight stepped through. Along the way, Shiori watched a little scene that gave her an interesting idea. She noticed that Rukia, although she was running along side her brother refused to look at, or even acknowledge him. It seemed that both Kuchiki-taichou and Abarai-fukutaichou, who was on Rukia's other side, had noticed this. While Kuchiki-taichou did not know why she was acting so out of the ordinary, Renji, who knew about Rukia's situation, could only keep his mouth shut, while his eyes burned with annoyance and anger directed, specifically, at his captain. It seemed he was also a little angry at himself, for not being able to do anything. Rukia in the meanwhile, was oblivious to all of this, as she was lost in thought again.

Upon arriving in Soul Society, the four shinigami were asked to stand next to the first group as to not create confusion of who had already gone. Ichigo dug out four Vitality Pills and handed them out to each of the Chi users. When they were energized again, Shiori caught everyone's attention and called out her next instructions. "Please step forward when your name is called. Hitsugaya-taichou and Komamura-taichou along with Kurotsuchi-fukutaichou and Ayasegawa-san. Strawberry head you'll be filling in for me," Shiori said. When everyone had moved to their positions, Ichigo opened the dark blue double doors and the third group stepped through.

Closing the doors firmly for reassurance, Shiori decided to put her idea to the test.


	8. Chapter 8

**The Traitor's True Face**

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters, only the storyline.

Summary: What if the three traitors were actually being controlled by someone with power to rival that of five captains combined? Will the spell be broken? Who is the true enemy?

'_Italics'_ are thoughts of course.

Chapter 8: The Plan in Action, Younger Brother Revealed

Closing the doors firmly for reassurance, Shiori decided to put her idea to the test.

Leaning against the closed double doors, Shiori fixed her eyes on the two officers from the Sixth Division. Carefully running the scenario through her head one more time, she slowly began to advance towards them with a sadistic gleam in her eyes.

All of the captains and vice-captains looked Shiori's way when they felt her moving towards the Sixth Division with her Chi flowing freely. Reaching her targets, she flicked her wrist, and a sound barrier surrounded them, as to not let any eaves droppers interfere. Allowing a mischievous smile to play on her lips, Shiori asked with an obviously sugar coated voice, "Well now, how are you two feeling?" Looking at her nonchalantly, Kuchiki-taichou decided to answer her with a short "Fine" before turning away once more. Abarai-fukutaichou answered the same way, just a little more politely from Shiori's point of view. Her eyes twinkling even brighter than before, Shiori started her little experiment using the same sugary voice.

"Well you know, the past few days, Rukia has been acting oddly, and since it seemed that you two are the closest to her, I was wondering if you knew what could be bothering her." Both of the shinigami were, to say the least, surprised, though the only indication was the very slight widening of the eyes. Glancing at the orange haired female coldly, Kuchiki-taichou advised her bluntly, "Rukia is a member of the Kuchiki clan, and therefore, not your responsibility, so it would be best if you do not concern yourself with her welfare." Renji only stood a ways from his captain, agreeing silently that this outsider should mind her own business. '_This is going just as I had planned. Oooh, things will be so much fun starting tonight!_' Shiori had to try very hard not to look giddy. Smiling sweetly, Shiori said, "Oh, I see. You are just as clueless as the rest of us. Well then sorry to bother you both. I'll leave you both to yourselves." With that she turned away. That had struck a nerve in the Sixth Division officers, though they remained neutral, of course. Renji looked at her with a practiced gaze that demanded his questions be answered. "The rest of us, you said? So there are more of you who want to put your noses where they don't belong?" With her smile still in tact, Shiori turned and answered, "No one wants to get into someone else's business unnecessarily, but there are more people who do care for Rukia's wellbeing. Such as The Kurosakis and the others from the real world." Shiori's eyes became a chilling grey color, and her smile disappeared. "Let me give you both a peace of advice," Shiori said in a low menacing voice, "Rukia, as of now, isn't what you would call particularly healthy, so I would suggest that you both keep a very close eye on her if you do not wish to lose her. There are things about her life, past and present, which you do not know of, and because her past, her present and possibly her future, are in jeopardy. If you both do not look after her, and do not try to learn more about her, then without a doubt Rukia that you know and cherish will die." With that, Takeuchi Shiori, turned on her heel and left with a quick stride, lowering the sound barrier. The rest of the shinigami, who didn't hear a word that was said for some reason, watched as Shiori walked with a quick, angry stride, and sat down in the same spot Rukia and Ichigo had occupied. It seemed to them, that the Sixth Division members couldn't seem to move at all. What had she said to them?

Shiori was oblivious to all of the thoughts around her; as she was too busy happily congratulating herself. '_Man this has to be one of my best ideas ever! Rukia you _so_ better thank me for this later._'

(In Starker Werden…)

Rukia was once again the one who cast the Energy Seal. She was utterly exhausted, but thankfully only a few more days were left. She in the mean time, she was contemplating all of the changes in her life and her little brother's as well. She had missed him so much, since they only rarely got to see each other at all, and then she had left for so long, and got herself into trouble more than once. When he visited her in the Sixth Division holding cell, he was very distraught but all she could do for him was say sweet words to soothe his mind. He swore that he would do everything he could to save her, and he did, only to almost get killed. It had taken her everything she had not to weep when she heard the news. When she had been hurt by the Bount, he kept saying that he wanted to go off and murder them all. Only when she held him close did he calm down, and listen to her reasoning. Rukia wanted to be with him again so badly, she couldn't wait for tonight, when they would meet in their special hideout. '_Brother, I need to confide in you so badly. These past few weeks, it's all been like an overwhelming dream that I can't wake up from. I'm so confused, brother. I wish we could be together more, but for the sake of both our reputations, we cannot._"

Standing behind her silently, Ichigo was lost in his on thoughts also. '_Rukia, you must be so distressed right now. After you went through the third stage of the training, your nightmares came back again, and there was nothing anyone could do. Add in what you heard this morning from the soutaichou, you have so much to carry on your shoulders, but all I can do is stand by and watch. I just hope that little brother of yours can help tonight._'

(In Soul Society…)

Five minutes after Shiori left found Abarai Renji leaning against a boulder pondering what Shiori had said. '_That girl had said that there are things about Rukia that I don't know, but that's impossible. I mean, we're best friends. Since we met, we told each other everything. Didn't we? And what did she mean when she said Rukia's future was in jeopardy? Whatever she meant I better keep an eye on Rukia anyway. It's better to be safe than sorry._'

Kuchiki-taichou stood stoically with an icy expression on his face. Despite that cool demeanor he gave off though, his mind was whirling. Although he didn't completely trust Shiori's words, he wasn't going to risk Rukia's safety by being careless. From now on he would make sure that she was being watched over by someone capable at all times. Most of Soul Society thought him unable to love someone, but they were wrong. He did care for people around him. Rukia being one of them. Rukia thought he only saved her because of his promise to Hisana, but he actually did it because he truly loved her very much. He allowed her to think that way because, well because, to be honest, he was afraid. Rukia looked so much like Hisana, and he was afraid that if he allowed himself to love her freely, then he would lose her the same way he lost Hisana. And also because it hurt to look at Rukia sometimes. She looked so much like her sister. Even if she doesn't know all that, he will still protect her.

Soon, the double doors opened, and the third group stepped out. After swallowing a Vitality Pill, Rukia switched places with Shiori, who gave Rukia a strange twisted smile as she passed. Rukia suppressed a shudder because she knew by that smile that Shiori was up to something big. Shiori called out the next groups up. "The group of Zaraki-taichou, Kurotsuchi-taichou, and Unohana-taichou, along with the group Ise-fukutaichou, Sasakibe-fukutaichou, and Iba-fukutaichou."

When that large party of people reached Starker Werden, aside from the hostility between the two male captains, everything went smoothly. It was in part, thanks to Unohana-taichou, who kept them both in line.

The group who went after them was Matsumoto-fukutaichou, Kusajishi-fukutaichou, and Kotetsu-fukutaichou, who will be joining them until Hinamori Momo, her actual partner woke up. Kusajishi Yachiru could not stay silent, interrupting Shiori after every three seconds, so it took a little longer than it should have, but after promising to give her candy later, Shiori finished explaining, and the training began. When all of the groups had gone through the First Stage, Shiori stood before them one last time for the day to remind them of some key points.

"All of you must remember that you must keep your Chi inside of you at all times. If you do not there is a very high probability that you will lose control and die. For the next two days or so, all of you will continue with your normal lives, as you will be feeling stiff. The intensity of the stiffness is not known because of your undetermined amounts of Chi. Arrangements will be made tomorrow morning once the stiffness sets in to ensure the utmost safety of all of you. Until then, try not to do anything stupid," with that, Shiori shunpoed away to the house she was staying in with the Kurosakis. (Everyone else from the real world was sent back to the house after the attack, so don't worry about them. They'll be showing up more.)

Everyone went home shortly to attend to their own personal duties or visit with friends to talk about what went on today.

(Around 9:30 pm…)

At the Kuchiki Estate, Rukia was getting ready to go meet her younger brother. Her older brother had retired to his room early tonight to get some rest, so now was the perfect time to go. Checking one last time for anything that might ruin her plans, Rukia stepped into the garden, and then she shunpoed into night.

Kuchiki Byakuya lay awake on his bed. His was replaying what Shiori had said again in his mind. Deciding that even though he was exhausted, he couldn't sleep, so he rose and walked out into the garden to calm his mind. In the garden, he saw Rukia in a light blue yukata walking to the wall surrounding the estate. Luckily, she did not sense his presence. Rukia was checking for something, and then she shunpoed away from the estate. Remembering what Shiori had told him, he followed her after a moment's consideration. '_She's gotten faster._' He thought fleetingly. It seemed that she was heading towards the only large forest in Seireitei. It was on the very edge of Seireitei, and there was nothing to be desired from it, so hardly anyone went there. The trees were overgrown, and the grass was barely alive. It was a wretched looking place. While he was thinking of reasons why she would be going there, he felt the presence of another shinigami. Turning, he saw it was his vice-captain, Renji. When their eyes met for a moment, they both knew they were there for the same reason, so Renji followed behind his captain, both far enough away for Rukia not to notice them. This wasn't normally appropriate behavior for shinigami of their ranks, but Rukia was worth it. Later, Renji revealed that he was heading home when he saw Rukia heading towards the forest with Byakuya trailing her, so he decided to make his presence known.

When they were all in the forest, it seemed to the two male shinigami that Rukia knew the forest like the back of her own hand. She made swift, sure movements, navigating the overgrown forest as if she lived there, while the two male shinigami had to be careful to not run into any tree branches that came out of no where. After what seemed to be forever, Rukia stopped in a large clearing. The clearing might as well have been another dimension. The trees surrounding it were neatly groomed, and the grass was a beautiful green color. Flowers ringed the perimeter, and in the middle, there was a large apple tree covered in blossoms. In the shadow of the tree, there sat a male figure with a small build, hidden by the shadows.

When Rukia came to a stop, the person's head snapped up, and he launched himself at her, almost knocking them both down. A young boy lifted his head up to reveal an upset looking young preteen. "You're late Nee-chan." Smiling at him lovingly, Rukia squeezed him gently, "Gomen ne, Toushiro."

Thank you for reading this far. Reviews would be appreciated.


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